BOLD moments from Glastonbury that we can all be inspired by
Photo is a stock image and not taken by Be Bold Be You
Go on, then… HANDS UP! Who, out of you lovely lot, has been watching Glastonbury this weekend? I have to admit, I have never been to a music festival before and it’s certainly on my tick-list of things to do before I turn 40! I have however, been watching the BBC coverage, at Worthy farm, over this gorgeously sunny weekend with James and our three daughters. As an individual who enjoys “comfort” I have felt slightly smug that my kitchen (full of fridge chilled Pimms!) and loo have been so close to my very comfy sofa compared… Let’s not lie, a few in that crowd were looking so hot and sweaty!
It’s no secret that I’m in love with kindness - whether it’s random acts of kindness from others or moments of gratitude it, to me, all comes under the same umbrella and Glastonbury has shown such beautiful moments of this - from kids being swapped between shoulders to ear defenders being passed onto others when the atmosphere was getting just a little too much for the senses - it didn’t half full the fuzzy feels for me on my sofa! However, I’m sat here - right now - 7.30pm on the Sunday evening in awe of three iconic moments from the popular music festival. I don’t know whether it’s been able to see so many real women’s journey through our role as a Boudoir Photographer here in humble Derbyshire or whether I am just an absolute lover of community at its best but these three moments have been so BOLD and - as a result - inspirational.
Photo is a stock image and not taken by Be Bold Be You
LIZZO talking about performing to an empty tent
Now, if you saw her set, you’ll know she was on the pyramid stage (with no tent) and by no means without a crowd. It was phenomenal. From the dancing, to the tightness of band through to the confidence oozed from Lizzo herself and, as a result, her audience. Did you hear her tell the audience about her history with Glastonbury? Apparently, she performed there back in 2018 with a DJ to an empty tent going on to say that there was “nobody there”. Did she let that get her down? Did she hell! "She went on to say that “we kept playing, and we played our hearts out, and now I stand before you and I’m so moved”. Proof, in my humble opinion, that if you stay BOLD and true to who you are then the universe really can look after you. Fast forward to 2023 and the themes of diversity, inclusivity and body-positivity throughout her set, on the iconic Pyramid Stage, right here in the UK left a beautiful sense of feeling inspired right here at our boudoir photography studio in Belper.
Photo is a stock image and not taken by Be Bold Be You
LEWIS CAPALDI’S authentic self
It brought tears to James’ eyes, and he’s not even a particular fan of Lewis' Capaldi’s music BUT you cannot ignore the respect this man so rightly commands by just being honest about who he is. If you haven’t seen his Netflix documentary, “How I’m Feeling Now”, then I thoroughly recommend watching it. He reflects massively on his path to being a successful musician and hearing his songs sung back to him for the first time whilst on stage but its his honesty over his mental health, and tourettes diagnosis, that just fills my heart with such love for this complete stranger! Personally, albeit reluctantly, I’ve had to accept the ugliness of anxiety and the unexpected role it has within my own life (as discussed on Radio Derby last October - an interview I’m still proud of!) in the last few years and it Capaldi is so open & honest about his anxiety that I have a new ambition to be as open & honest with my own as he is with his. We meet a lot of people in the studio that just needs a helping hand on regaining their confidence in order to feel comfortable with their own identity and there was such a powerful moment in Lewis Capaldi’s Glastonbury set that saw him be comforted by tens of thousands of strangers. As he openly admitted his voice was beginning to go, and his ticks began to rise and take over his performance, this beautiful gabble of strangers took him under their wing and helped him finish the final song of his set, “someone you love”. For those who have spoken with me before - whether it as part of our Facebook tribe or in their own BOLD boudoir photoshoot here in Derby - you will know how much of a kick both James & I get from watching a timid individual come out of their shell and allow us to celebrate who they are through the realm of photography and Lewis did just that with his music, with the audience holding his authentic self within their hands throughout his set.
Photo is a stock image and not taken by Be Bold Be You
BLONDIE rocking it as a 72 yr old
Then along came another manic Sunday (see what I did there?!). From the outfit (including killer flat boots…!) through to commanding a stage she is absolute proof, to me, that age really is just a number. Talk about mind over matter, she strutted onto that stage wearing glasses I’ve seen on the likes of Kylie Mynogue through to Steps and the audience just gave her respect and they gave Blondie this because, in my opinion, she had the confidence to own the role of Artist. For over an hour, Blondie and the band gave a set that the audience wanted to give their time to and they did so purely because they were themselves. There was no mention of feeling any age! She went on and did what she’s always felt confident to do - perform. For those who say "I love boudoir but I would never be able to do a photoshoot” I challenge you to drop me a message! Incidentally, our older Boudoir at Be Bold Be You (at Studio1825) was also 72 and she, quite frankly, bloody rocked it.
One of the things I’ve noticed over the last ten years of photographing Boudoir is the amount of people who talk about music. It’s a big thing for us at the studio and it’s not uncommon for a client to have made their own Spotify playlist ready for their own BOLD moment, with us! Whether you’ve tuned into Glastonbury for the music or the theatre of it all, it’s not over yet and neither is Be Bold Be You! As we come into the final preparations for new projects at Be Bold Be You, to be announced later this year, I have a heart full of absolute JOY at seeing the confidence and kindness shown amongst strangers this weekend. If Be Bold Be You has just a snippet of the kindness shown at this weekend’s Glastonbury then I know we’re doing our jobs right - our mantra has never stood so loud in all that we aim to achieve in inspiring others “be bold be you. Everyone else is already taken.”
Now then, who is looking forward to Elton John later?
